homelessdude:The cons still have one chance to screw this up.........not likely, but weirder things have happened in DC in the past few years.

Summary of Key Dates for the 2012 Presidential Election (archives.gov) See January 6, 2013

All they have to do is turn Joe Biden...The Vice President, as President of the Senate, presides over the count and announces the results of the Electoral College vote. The President of the Senate then declares which persons, if any, have been elected President and Vice President of the United States.

dready zim:hammettman: "November 6 saw Obama pass the electoral threshold of 270 - from a total of 538 votes - as ballots from Ohio rolled in, besting Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney. Ultimately, Obama won 332 electoral votes, with 51% of the popular vote, to Romney's 207, with 47% of the popular vote."

Gotta love the irony of Romney's final tally of 47% of the popular vote.

Didn`t think of that before, that is really really funny.

I have a feeling that the number 47 itself will be banned from the Romney household for generations. I can imagine scenarios with the kids, grandkids, servants, taking a swipe--leading Mitt to completely snap.

Grandkid: grampa MItt, can you help me with my homework?Mitt: For Pete's sake, of course! Math? I'm great at math.Grandkid: okay, 35 plus 12 equals...

Nem Wan:OtherBrotherDarryl: Obviously a typo but it brings up a good point: can we have an odd number of electoral votes so there is no (or a lot less of a) possibility of a tie?

The number is tied to Congressional representation: 435 representatives and 100 senators, plus the three electors from the District of Columbia. There would have to be a new state admitted to the union, which could temporarily add representatives until the next census, but after the census the fixed number of 435 would be reapportioned among the 51 states, while the senate would increase to 102 because every state gets 2 senators. D.C. statehood would possibly result in an odd number after the census following admission.

I know. But why couldn't we just add a congressperson to the allocation algorithm using the 2010 census. At the very least, make this adjustment after the next census (so, the 2024 election). I'm for chucking the EC too but I think this would require a constitutional amendment. I think adding a congressperson would not.

innerlogik:I guess CNN doesnt know that the votes are not counted and made official until January 6th when congress opens. They just cast and seal their votes on the 17th with a submission deadline of the 26th.

Watch Free Republic on that date for an epic meltdown when the votes are counted and the total accepted.

True. The size of the House is set by 2 USC §2a, and could be changed "simply" by passing a new law.

The catch is that Amendment XXIII sets the number of electors to the number of senators, plus the number of Representatives in the House, plus three for DC. Since the senate has an even number, either the number of electors must be even and subject to a tie... or the House must be.

Since the House meets and votes more often, the potential of an Electoral College tie seems the lesser evil.

Huck And Molly Ziegler:Congratulations, Mr. President. Now go do some stuff that makes you just as hated as Roosevelt was (by his opponents) (either, Roosevelt, actually). THEN you'll know you did the right thing.

Not saying I'm a birther, but I've heard it would be a disaster. A real crisis...Every law he's signed into effect would be null and void. Every treaty, too.Everyone punished under the laws he'd signed would be pardoned or at least need new trials...I don't even know how it would affect all the spending...